(05 Apr 2013, 12:02 pm)Andreos1 wrote The thought about tax payer money concerned me, but if the contract was null and void, would compensation (tax payer money) be paid out to GNE, who through no fault of their own, would be out of pocket.
Again, detail like this would be within the contract.

I don't know how exactly the procurement system works at Nexus, but you would think at the early stages, they would try and get the operator to run the route commercially anyhow. After all, they have the loading figures available to them, and can see how much or little the service is making. Having said that though, the operator is a business, and wouldn't be obliged to answer the question either way. This is always the danger when no one has real control over the bus network in the region.

I think the real concern is that this could potentially set a precedent. What's to stop Go North East turning round and re-registering the M2 and M3 on an evening between Concord and Birtley for example? That would render Arriva's only normal stopping contract in Washington as useless. Same could be said if Arriva decided to run the 50A on an evening.